BULLETINS FROM ALOHA

Jeff Sapiro joined the Oregon State Bar (OSB) in 1981 and became Disciplinary Counsel in 1988.  Karen Garst became Executive Director of the Oregon State Bar several years later.  As a result of an ABA Report in 1992, Oregon State Bar staff considered a central intake system including mediation and an ombudsman  in 1997.  In 1999 Larry Rew, OSB President-Elect  and George Riemer, General Counsel of the OSB visited Georgia's consumer assistance program (CAP).   In 2000 the Bar embarked on a six month CAP pilot program which demonstrated success with the clients and membership.  It was noted that  "...many problems are really just misunderstandings based on failures of communications".  (Syvia Stevens memo 8/14/01) 

Independantly of OSB leadership, the House of Delegates (HOD) voted in September of 2001 to take a fresh look at the entire OSB disciplinary system.  OSB leadership was against this HOD position.  The Disciplinary Task Force (DTF) was formed as a result of the HOD action and rendered their report in 2002 recommending ameliorative changes including diversion, mediation and the formation of a Client Assistance Office  (CAO) .  The DTF also recommended that bias and delay in the disciplinary system be further reviewed by the Bar which has never happened.   The CAO began in 2003.  As of 2005 no cases have been mediated by OSB's Disciplinary Counsel even though mediation was part of the original proposal in 1997 and formally adopted in 2003.

Mark Zusman, former Chair of the Disciplinary Board (trial panels) made a formal recommendation to the OSB Board of Governors (BOG) in 2006 that the disciplinary system in Oregon "...be fundamentally reoriented from a crime-and-punishment model..." to one based on education and rehabilitation.  BOG has not acted on that proposal.